Ben Branagh and Kate Cronin are your runners at parkrun in Ireland this weekend (September 21st).
It was a rapid week with six men running inside 16 minutes at Irish parkruns. Despite improving his parkrun PB by three seconds 15:45 saw last week’s fastest runner Tony McCambridge only third fastest this week after very quick times from Ben Branagh and Sean Doyle.
St. Malachy’s Branagh ran 15:14 at Waterworks just 16 second outside his own course record. The 14:16 5000m man has not been in competitive action in the UK since winning the Seeley Cup 10K in December 2018 in a PB of 30:28 so this will be a pleasing result for many followers of athletics in Ireland.
Sean Doyle was second fastest this week with 15:28 to break the course record at Naas. Doyle, who ran 31:27 at the Irish National 10,000m Championships in July was a winner of the Dundrum 5k in May clocking 14:53.
McCambridge claimed his parkrun PB with 15:45 after shifting his focus to Belfast Victoria to finish 10 seconds clear of young Matthew Lavery who also clamed a PB of 15:55. Evan Fitzgerald and Adam Ferris also ran sub 16 with Fitzgerald claiming a new parkrun PB of 15:48 at Clonmel just two seconds outside the course record.
Kate Cronin became the third fastest athlete over the Malahide course and finished as the fastest female this week clocking 17:26 at Malahide. The Raheny Shamrock athlete is an Irish international mountain runner with a 10km best of 35:31.
Sophie Wood of Sale Harriers smashed the course record at Stormont with 18:18. Wood was a second place finisher at Salford City 10km two weeks ago when she clocked 35:51 and ran her 5km PB in July with 17:09 at the Sale Sizzler 5km.
Junior Cassie Lagan ran the third fastest time this week and her own parkrun PB with 18:39 at MUSA Cookstown. The Omagh athlete was 2nd at the Ulster Schools Championships over 3000m in May and was a winner of the Beragh 5K in May. 2:12 800m runner Aoibhinn McGoldrick was the other athlete to break 19 minutes this week running 18:52 at St Anne’s.
Men’s top 10
1) parkrun: Waterworks
Ben Branagh, 15:14, St. Malachy’s
2) parkrun: Naas
Sean Doyle, 15:28
3) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Tony McCambridge, 15:45, St Malachy’s
4) parkrun: Clonmel
Evan Fitzgerald, 15:48
5) parkrun: Waterworks
Adam Ferris, 15:53, St Malachys AC
6) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Matthew Lavery, 15:55, North Belfast Harriers
7) parkrun: Antrim
Aaron Woodman, 16:05, Willowfield Harriers
8) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Dylan McBride, 16:28, Willowfield Harriers
9) parkrun: Waterstown
Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan, 16:29, Donore Harriers
10) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Stephen Connolly, 16:31. Annadale Striders
Women’s top 10
1) parkrun: Malahide
Kate Cronin, 17:26, Raheny Shamrock AC
2) parkrun: Stormont
Sophie Wood, 18:18, Sale Harriers Manchester
3) parkrun: MUSA Cookstown
Cassie Lagan, 18:39
4) parkrun: St Anne’s
Aoibhinn McGoldrick, 18:52, Raheny Shamrock AC
5) parkrun: Clonmel
Orla Byrne, 19:01
6) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Julie Murphy, 19:10, Lagan Valley AC
7) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Emer McKee, 19:16, Willowfield Harriers
8) parkrun: Killarney House
Maria McCarthy, 19:20, Farranfore MaineValley Athletics Club
9) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Hannah Gilliland, 19:26, Willowfield Harriers
10) parkrun: Stormony
Leann Gibson, 19:29, Victoria Park and Connswater AC
If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.
RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun
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